The Real World Meets Crunch, Crash, and Coco
by Sirbaron
Summary: Everyone knows about the Cortex-stopping trio. But how will they react when something confronts them that is not utterly insane and bent on taking over the world? Meet the new villain: reality. Takes place three years after Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex. Does not include anything after WOC. The story varies from the character's point of views, but will favor Crunch the most.
1. Prologue

**The** quiet, saline ocean breeze gently wafted over the tranquil islands, due South-East to Australia, that are seldom visited by man . The archipelago, known as the Wumpa Islands for their unique, and divine-tasting fruit, sat quietly amidst an ocean of eternity. However, it was not too long ago that chaos reigned in this little pocket of the world.

Three years earlier, a heroic band of mutated creations usurped chaos from its vile throne. Chaos, Doctor Neo Cortex, had created this mutations with the purpose of taking over the world. When these mutations, Crash and Coco, escaped and vowed to forever foil Cortex's plans, a seemingly interminable cycle of struggle between good and evil was born. Crash, an orange Bandicoot (similar to a fox mixed with a human), and his sister, Coco (similar to crash but more human than fox), with guidance from an ancient, yet powerful voodoo mask, Aku'Aku, became the champions of light against Dr. Neo Cortex, a mad scientist who is hell-bent on taking over the world; Uka'Uka, the evil twin of Aku'Aku who fuels the scientist's schemes; and Cortex's other lackeys that range from a genetically modified tiger to a fellow scientist with a rocket fused in his head. These were the pieces, and the grand chess game had just begun.

After many failings, the frustrated Cortex finally decided to throw everything he had at the benevolent Bandicoots. Little did our unfortunate heroes know that Cortex had been brewing a secret "weapon" even before they themselves had been born. While Cortex has proven exceedingly unreliable in taking over the world, the mad scientist still possessed enough intelligence to know that he would always need a back-up plan. Therefore, it had dawned on him: in order to defeat the Bandicoots, he needed to unveil his secret weapon. To fight a Bandicoot, one has to _be_ a Bandicoot. Or so he thought.

The secret weapon turned out to be a genetically modified beast. The beast, a different species of Bandicoot, was a force to be reckoned with. Cortex's creation was over seven feet tall with powerful, built muscles. He had a metal forearm and hand in the right arm's stead. The beast was filled to the brim with a volcanic temper, to Cortex's delight. In woeful irony, Cortex named the beast "Crunch" for his physique. Cortex failed to realize that this was another example of his frenetic planning. Destiny had it that Crunch, even when being named, was similar enough to the other Bandicoots to be a brother. To Cortex's dismay, the three C's would be his undoing again and again. Yet, we hear of the Bandicoots' triumph over Cortex too often. What do they do when a problem other than Cortex arises? Reality has no entity behind it. Reality has unrelenting power where Cortex does not. Reality has the power to sunder the sun-bleached archipelago. Reality is the ultimate equalizer. This is where our story begins.


	2. Chapter 1

_**T**_ _hump._

Coco looked up at the ceiling of her lab. She was sitting in a tan sofa sipping juice, while taking a break from her schematics and engineering. Coco's laboratory was situated underneath the Bandicoot household, and was very large. It was a place where she could feel like herself and escape from the testosterone upstairs. The "thump" had undoubtedly been from her brothers - they always found a way to break something. Even though he saved the world countless times, Crash was a ball of energy that could not be contained. He had proven to be pretty untidy around the house and did little more than eat, sleep, and sleep some more. Crunch, on the other hand, was a staunch athlete who always strove for a better body and the well-being of his siblings. If he was not pumping metal, he was trying to get the trio to go outside and do something active. Coco sighed to herself. She was happy to have Crunch around, however. Being the oldest sibling, Crash and her really looked up to him. She respected the fact that Crunch always tried to help Crash along, even though he did not have to. When he was under Cortex's control, she had thought he was a monster. Yet now she knows of his noble soul and good intentions. Still, it had been a while since Cortex's last plot, and she thought her brothers would drive her mad. In the end, she decided to go and check on the noise to make sure someone did not crack their head open.

* * *

Crash looked down at the shattered remains of a cobalt-blue vase. He decided that perhaps he was not good at juggling. _Yet._ The day had been warm and sunny, like most other days in the Wumpa Islands. Of course, he was board out of his mind. His sister and brother were being boring for the moment. Coco was tinkering with whatever she is working on, and Crunch was benching.

"Why can't the world be more exciting?" he thought. However, he knew he was in for a good yelling when he heard Coco's footsteps near the top of the stairs that lead down to her lab. He could also hear Crunch's heavy footfalls coming from his room.

Crash smiled. It may not be the best form of entertainment, but breaking things brought his siblings together. Not always in a good way, though.

* * *

"Seventy-five, seventy-six, seventy-" Crunch was interrupted by a large thump from outside his door. Crunch had been busy benching four-hundred pounds when this interruption happened. Crunch's room was small and dark. By the window he had all his workout equipment - dumbbells, a bench press, and even a squat wrack. Crunch slowly wracked the bar and sat up, scratching his ear. His brother had managed to break something again. It was a hot day out, and the benching was the last thing on Crunch's list to do before a nice, cold shower. Wiping sweat from his brow, Crunch walked over to the door in his room, prepared to meet a furious Aku'Aku, an oblivious Crash, and an annoyed sister.

Coco was a true mathematical genius and understood things that the boys would never understand. However, she seemed to lack knowledge in the common sense department - along with Crash. Crunch had seen horrors his siblings could never imagine, and he could never forget. He worked on his build constantly so that when the day comes to defend his family, he will be able to perform with ease. He knew what was right or wrong in his family, but he feared what ignorant Coco and Crash may get themselves into. Until then, he has been busy teaching Coco and Crash new combat skills and forcing them to exorcise. They seemed to take things for granted though. He had about had it with Crash when this "thump" occurred.

"That fuzz-ball has no respect. I wonder if he will ever gain any."


	3. Chapter 2

Crash looked around with a nervous smile. He realized that his siblings were not happy with him. Beyond that, Aku'Aku's wooden scowl was boring into his very soul. Coco was standing in the entrance to the stairs leading down to her lab. She had her hands on her hips with a frown. She shook her head as if saying "why?". Crunch was leaning against his door frame with his arms crossed. He, too, looked frustrated with Crash. However, Aku'Aku was the most angry and was the first to speak.

"You cannot go romping throughout the house, Crash. Take your games outside and be more careful. You will have to clean this up. Even heroes have to clean up after themselves. I'm sure Coco and Crunch have had it with your nonsense. It is time to mature," Aku'Aku ranted. Crash gave an uneasy shrug, and began to wipe up the shattered vase with his hands. Aku'Aku then turned to Coco and Crunch. "You two need to look after him more closely. Crash seems to be more like a young child full of energy right now. They say it takes a village to raise a child. Therefore you two will need to work extra hard. Don't give up on him for-" Aku'Aku was interrupted by a bright flash of light. In their arguments, none of the Bandicoots nor the wooden mask had noticed a _human_ approach the Eastern window in the living room. The man was in his 60's with a white handlebar mustache, a monocle and a tan suit. The flash came from the man's camera. His eyes widened in surprise as he saw three mutated creatures and a floating wooden mask arguing with each other inside the house. He grinned, turned 180 degrees, and ran as fast as his feet could carry him.

* * *

Inside the house, Crunch rushed to the window. He saw the man racing away from the house towards a giant machine that had landed in the distance in the sands. He turned to his family, "There is a human running away from our house towards a machine with giant blades on top of it. I think Cortex called it a helicopter? He had some kind of contraption in his hands that must have produced the flash of light," he observed.

Coco's fears were assuaged. "Its alright, Crunch. That must have only been a camera. All he he did was take a picture of us. I thought it was Cortex, for a moment, trying to zap us into next year," she explained.

"Coco, you know well that I do not trust humans. That man is going to send that picture all over the world, and soon we'll become a petting zoo! I need to get that camera!" Crunch said as he walked towards the door.

"Crunch, no! You won't make it in time, and it really is not that big of a deal!" Coco raced with surprising speed to stand in her older brother's way. "I-I met one of them the other day. I told them where our house is so they could come visit. His name was Steve." She blushed.

"Coco, what do you think you have gotten us into? This is not good at all. Now stand aside!" Crunch growled. She folded her arms and let out a stubborn "hurmph". Crunch picked her up, set her behind him, and ran out the door.

"Its not fair. He's so strong!" Coco whimpered.

* * *

Outside, Crunch leaped through the sand faster than he had on any morning run. He was making quick time and gaining on the human fast. But alas, the human had a massive head start. The man looked behind him and saw Crunch's hulking figure barreling straight for him. He let out a concerned "yelp" and hopped onto the helicopter. "GO! GO! GO!" the man shouted with terror. To Crunch's dismay, the helicopter took off with great speed and floated to the sky. By this point, Crunch was right under where the helicopter had taken off. He took a great leap in the air. The air from the helicopter blowing past him, one could hear Crunch's heart sink when he missed the helicopter skids by less than an inch. Crunch plummeted back to earth with a sandy "thump" as the helicopter sped into the sky with the man taking even more pictures of a defeated Bandicoot. Crunch got up from the sand. He was furious.

"Coco better have a good explanation. My sister might have just changed our lives forever."


	4. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: [I appreciate everyone who has taken the time to read this story. I plan to come out with chapters regularly. Warning, this story is not going to be as light and fluffy as many other CB fan fiction. This is taking a more realistic look at the world the Bandicoots live in, their inner personalities, and how they get along with each other. Please leave a review - I am looking to always improve. Thanks, have a nice day! -Sirbaron]**

"Coco, you should have not stood in my way. I'm not sure that you know what you have done. Humans cannot be trusted," Crunch said while brushing off the remaining sand on his shoulder. "I have yet to see the responsibility Aku'Aku expects in you."

"Don't tell me a _thing_ about responsibility! I know more than you could ever imagine - I have built contraptions that will help the world! You run around shirtless and sweaty, always itching to make yourself look better. You're just a hulking hypocrite!" Coco retorted with a caustic comment.

"Have you ran a mile in your life? That _tends_ to make one sweat. Oh, but you wouldn't get exercise if it weren't for me. If you truly have the intelligence you never lose a moment to boast about, at least listen to this. Crash, you too. Both of you pack an emergency backpack just in case. Even if I'm wrong, it could prove handy against future Cortex invasions. I may not be a rocket scientist, but I have common sense. I look _ahead,_ " Crunch said in a very calm, yet furious tone.

* * *

That evening, a terrible storm socked the tropical islands in. The gloom of the poring rain reflected the gloom of the family, the lightning the anger, and the thunder the argument. Aku'Aku and Crash were able to do nothing but watch the argument unfold. It was clear, there was a rift within the family. Coco had retreated to her lab while Crash huddled next to the fire in the house's hearth. Crunch was already packing his backpack. As lightning and energy flared outside, morale and motivation was low inside.

* * *

Coco sat in her tan chair, staring at the cooling cup of tea in her hands. Her eyes were wet and red from crying. During the fight, she had shown nothing but stubbornness, however, now that she was in her laboratory, she wept. She did not want to admit it, but her brother was probably right. Nothing good could come from inviting a human to her house. Yet, that is not why the tears flowed from her soggy eyelashes. She wept because she knew that she had lost her brother's trust. How dark of a world it must be for him, to have nobody looking after him. Coco always felt safe because she knew that her older brothers would stand in front of Hell itself to keep her safe. Crunch had no one. He was a protector. Tears began to flow from her swollen eyes again. She got up off the tan chair, set her tea down, and began to quietly arrange a pair of clothes. She put this in her pink backpack along with her laptop, a small package of utility gizmos she had made, and some toiletries.

While Crash does not talk, he understands speech and body language better than most people think. After bearing witness to the blow-out between his siblings, Crash promptly packed his emergency backpack. He included several Wumpa fruits, a pair of sunglasses, a yo-yo, and some pants in the denim pack. Crash thought carefully about the fight. Crunch had been awfully hard on Coco, but his sister had done something very stupid. However, despite the moods that both of his siblings tried to convey during the fight, he saw them both hurting inside. Coco was obdurate, but he saw her blaming herself for the tear in the family. Crunch was calm and accusatory. Yet, Crash got the feeling that Crunch was hating every moment of the fight. Crash decided that if there ever was a better time for him to mature, it would be now. He would do it for Crunch and Coco.

Crunch was kneeling on the floor of his room, packing as many things as he could into his black backpack. He stuffed extra food, water, and rope in it. Additionally, he put a small pocket knife in his bag along with a flashlight. He then packed an another pair of camouflage pants, and even a shirt, just in case it got cold wherever the Bandicoots may end up next. _Wherever that may be._ Crunch thought. He sighed. The burgundy-colored Bandicoot had thought that wearing military pants and going shirtless conveyed plenty of machismo. _But,_ he thought, _no man would be as hurt as me by the end of that fight._ Crunch had come from a cruel world-one ruled by Cortex. Therefore, Crash and Coco were all that he had, and he had just blown-up on his sister.

"Life has a way of ordering us around. I would just like to know where the hell we are bound for next."


	5. Chapter 4

A week later, the sunny Wumpa islands still sat quietly amidst the ocean. The Bandicoots had not repaired the tear in their fellowship yet, and on this particular day, Crunch sat staring into the ocean. He was sure that the human was going to bring trouble to the island, but by this point, it appeared that Coco was right: it had been a harmless act. Crunch let his head rest on his metal palm. "This family has been torn apart. And it's my fault. Perhaps they should have let me explode along with Cortex's wretched space station," Crunch mumbled. His sister had rarely come out of her laboratory since the fight, and Crash had lost his usual spunk. Everyone was mopey and depressed. Crunch had not seen Aku'Aku in several days time. The island had adopted a general feeling of malaise. Even the sun, in all its glory, seemed to shine dimmer to the broken Bandicoots. The sounds of the jungle lost their glamor. Life had come to a screeching halt.

Suddenly, a buzzing noise pierced the gloom. Crunch's right ear shot up in recognition. His head was soon to follow, with his heart pounding. He scanned the horizon with suspicion. Nothing. "Now I'm becoming paranoid. I would be better off just going back and working on my abs or pecs then wasting my time here," Crunch grunted. He got up and turned his massive back towards the water, and began jogging towards the house. Then the the buzzing got louder. It was definitely coming from the ocean. Crunch turn to take another look, mainly to just humor himself. Yet, what he saw was nothing pleasing to him. "Oh shi-".

* * *

Coco was quietly adjusting the bolts on her portal machine. She had used it to transport Crash to every crack in the world to gather the power crystals that Cortex inevitably desires to fuel his nefarious plots. She had developed a prototype that would transport several individuals at once. She figured that she could sen Crunch and Crash on the same mission, and therefore, thwart Cortex's schemes even easier. Coco sighed and put her wrench down. "Crunch seemed to have been wrong about this whole plot. I wish we hadn't had our blowouts, but I really would like to see him happy again," she said to her wrench. "Perhaps Cortex's next scheme will repair things!"

Just then, a large bang resonated from her laboratory door. It was followed by Crunch's booming, frantic voice. "Coco, grab your backpack, now! We need to get out of here ASAP!" Her heart skipped a beat. She dropped the wrench and sprinted towards the laboratory door. She began to run even faster once she realized that her backpack was up in her bedroom. She had good reason to be scared, for what Crunch had seen was no large bee. A large battleship, flanked by three helicopters, was headed straight for the Wumpa islands. Worse yet, the helicopters moved with amazing speed and already landed on the beach. Twenty to thirty men unloaded and stormed the coastline. The Bandicoots had minutes before the men would reach their humble cottage.

* * *

Crunch watched his sister bolt out of her laboratory and make way for the stairs just as the armed men began to bolt for the house. Crash was standing ready to go next to Crunch. Seconds later, Coco returned with her backpack. "We need to go to my lab, my portal machine there can teleport us out of here! I've been working on a new prototype that can-" she was interrupted by a large canister bursting through the ceiling right in front of her lab. It began to spray a green gas out its sides. Then, Aku'Aku materialized in front of the Bandicoots.

"Run out the back door, children! That gas will kill you. I will do my best to keep your laboratory hidden, Coco. Until then, Crunch, take them to the opposite side of the island," Aku'Aku informed.

"The beach where you can see Cortex's castle, right? I know the place, I run there often," Crunch affirmed.

"In the jungle near the beach, you will find a large tree twisted in the shape of an "S". Go there. There is an entrance to an ancient temple where you can find an artifact that will cloak your movements. Use that and return here so we can use Coco's lab to leave these forsaken islands. Go!" Aku'Aku shouted.

The Bandicoots wasted no time in waiting around. They sprinted out the back door of their cottage as the troops stormed the front door of their home. They were bound for the daunting jungle, where they hoped to find a tree shaped like an "S".

All Crunch could remember were the letters "USA" boring into his mind. The soldiers were from this USA, the ship, and the helicopters too. Crunch had one thought in mind: _the humans will pay for this._


	6. Chapter 5

**I apologize for the time it has taken to publish this chapter. it took me a while to figure out where this story is going and how I was to get there. Enjoy!**

The cool rain of an early summer storm gently trickled down the evergreen leaves of the jungle on the Bandicoots' island. Lightning crackled in the ebony sky while the jungle was showered with purifying rain beneath it. Hours had passed since the disaster at the Bandicoot household, and the three weary siblings trudged silently through the slurping mud. Coco's bright colors and blue overalls were saturated with grime and dirt. Crash had lost his shoe to a mud hole, and also had fallen down a waterfall. Even Crunch was miserable, his burgundy fur matted against his aching muscles. The trio had often explored the jungle of the island, but it had become a different place in the rain and the dark. It had become a labyrinth of vegetation and wild animals.

Crunch scanned his surroundings. The trees and the ferns all looked the same, and it was very dark, even almost too dark for his genetically-altered Bandicoot eyes to see in. He had run the circumference of the island many times for his morning work-out, but the jungle was more difficult to navigate and manage than the beach. However, the Bandicoots could not afford to walk the beaches because the humans would track them. The humans. _The cause of all this pain. The cause of this sorrow. The cause of this suffering._ He would make sure that whatever "USA" is would pay for its crimes against the Bandicoots.

Suddenly, the deafening noise of a helicopter approached. It was followed by a blinding spotlight. Coco panicked and tripped on a tree root, and was sent sprawling into a clump of ferns. Crash bolted to the nearest tree. Crunch joined Crash while watching the spotlight slowly scan the jungle. Thankfully enough, the trees and the flora were thick enough to cover their bodies from the prying eyes of the humans above. However, one thing was for sure, the few minutes that the helicopter spent scanning the area felt like hours to the Bandicoot trio. Finally, the loud noise and the brilliant light abated as the helicopter continued on its search. The noise was once again replaced by rain, lightning, and Coco's defeated sobs. Crunch looked over at Crash and realized that he was rubbing his bleeding knee. During the tumble on the waterfall, Crash had hurt his knee and torn his pants badly. Crunch himself was cut on the bicep from an ancient native spear trap that had nearly taken his life. It was clear that his siblings needed a break from this endless march. Soon even Crunch sat down on the soggy ground. He thought about what they had gone through, and how their lives had been just a day earlier. Inevitably, his sorrow and anguish turned into flaming anger. "Whoever is responsible for this will pay," he said while wrapping a large leaf around his bleeding bicep. "The humans have tortured us. Crash has done nothing but keep world domination out of Crotex's wretched hands, and this is how the humans thank him and his family. Mark my words, Crash and Coco, I will make this "USA" will pay for its crimes if its the last thing I do," Crunch growled through bared teeth.

Coco looked up form the soggy ferns at the furious Crunch. Her older brother had always had a dark side - a scar left upon him from the malevolent Cortex. Crunch had seldom trusted humans, and now, he was convinced that every human on this earth was evil. Ironically, in this lightning-lit night, the way he bared his fangs made him look like a monster. Revenge can be a cruel mistress, for it undoubtedly corupted Cortex. She then shot a worried glance at her younger brother.

What Crash saw was disturbing in her eyes. He saw fear - and this was to be expected after being evicted from her house and having her life turned upside down. He saw the fear of humans, change, and fear for their future. Yet, he saw a new, more distressing type of fear. One that was paramount to all other fears she possessed. One that was nearly eating her alive. This fear was the fear of family.

 ** _The fear of their older brother._**


	7. Chapter 6

The break did not last long. Soon Crunch urged his siblings onwards towards the other side of the island. The burgundy Bandicoot knew that Coco and Crash were scared. To tell the truth, Crunch was scared too, for he had no idea what was in store for the Bandicoot family. All that he knew was that he needed to protect his brother and sister, but to also get his revenge. This is when he caught the first whiff of ocean brine. The jungle journey was just about over - to his relief.

Coco and Crash soon recognized the familiar scent as well, and began to perk up. The fear was still present, but at least they could get out of the sopping-wet jungle. They followed their brother through the thicket until the trees and ferns gave way to the beach, where the sands gave way to slimy green water. Here Cortex's island could be seen, where the pollutants that he dumped into the water tainted the very sea and beach. Yet, beside this grim scene, it at least meant that the Bandicoots had found their way to the correct side of the island. But, as the trio would soon discover, they were not the only ones suffering from the human invasion.

"Coco, Crash, look! The humans have Cortex's castle surrounded! They look like they're capturing his minions!" Crunch observed. A large human ship with a massive deck and several airplanes was pulled just off the coast of the Bandicoot's island. Surrounding Cortex's island floated three ships with soldiers rapidly unloading from them. On the other island, Dingodile could be seen in hand cuffs, while Tiny the Tiger lay snoring on the ground with a dart sticking out of his shoulder. Sprawled about the beach were Cortex's other lackeys. Before long, a large man soon hauled out the mad scientist himself and detained him with hand cuffs. It looked as if Cortex's operation was over. "Hurry, we need to find that tree. Once those humans are done arresting Cortex and his minions, this beach and jungle will be crawling with humans. Aku'Aku said something about an "S" shaped tree - keep your eyes peeled!" Crunch quickly said. Coco and Crash dispersed along the jungle edge while Crunch stood looking distrustfully at the humans across the channel.

* * *

It was Crash who finally found the palm tree. The thing was twisted and gnarled, almost in the shape of a knot, but it did resemble an "s" better than any other tree on the beach. Coco began to search around the tree's bough while Crash looked in the branches. It was a foreboding sight, for green slime also covered the almost-dead tree. As Crash began to climb the tree, he stepped on a branch that clicked, and rotated sideways, and followed by a large hole in the earth opening up under Coco. She was swallowed up by the hole with a surprised squeal. This brought Crunch out of his revenge-inspired daze. The burgundy Bandicoot sprinted towards the tree, while Crash slid down its trunk. To the boys' relief, Coco's assuaging "I'm ok" soon echoed out of the hole.

* * *

The hole's walls were also covered with green slime and was difficult to manage. Crash managed to get down without falling, but to Crunch's dismay, the burgundy Bandicoot did not fare as well. Crunch had slipped and plummeted to the bottom of the hole, landing in a resonating "thud". The noise echoed down the dark hallway before them, and was soon replaced the the hysterical laughter of Crash and Coco. All that remained was to search the temple for whatever it was that would make them temporarily invisible. Once Crunch got up and wiped the dust off of his army pants, the three looked onwards towards the darkness of the ancient halls. Morale was higher, and hope was on the horizon.

Coco did have to admit that it is harder to be afraid of her brother when he is as clumsy as an ox. Again, to Crunch's chagrin, Crash would agree with this as well. So much for machismo.


	8. Chapter 7

Musty, cool, damp air hung in the dripping passageway. Aside from the light that filtered in through the hole, the halls were dark, the Bandicoots were all but blind within them. Crunch looked around, his eyes straining to see something of use in the dark. At this point, only one thing stood out: a stick with ancient rags leaned up against the wall. The burgundy Bandicoot strode towards the primitive torch, only to find it dripping wet with moisture. In a mixture of oil and water, the torch seemed completely inflammable. Yet, to the both the boys' surprise, it was Coco who provided the solution. She fished through her emergency backpack and then ran over to her muscular brother. "Give me the stick. There's nothing that this flamethrower prototype I've created can't light ablaze." Crunch's eyebrows lifted with surprise.

"You brought a flamethrower? I appreciate the enthusiasm, but was it really necessary? I wonder-" Crunch was interrupted by a sharp elbow to the side by his younger brother. "What I was saying was that I am happy nevertheless," Crunch recovered with a wounded look. Crash smiled with a cheerful thumbs up.

"Back up, idiots. You have enough fur to become flaming fools," Coco said before putting on some sunglasses. She retrieved the gadget - a small metal cannister that fit in her palm- from her pocket. She then pointed it at the stick. After a small click, a torrent of flames was unleashed from the minuscule cannister, completely bathing the stick, and the wall behind it in blazing light and roaring flames. The stick was set ablaze, as was the vegetation on the wall. The male Bandicoots stood stunned by the light and the flames a few feet behind Coco.

Twirling the cannister in her palm, and then blowing the smoke away from it, Coco looked at her brothers. "Your sister is more capable at doing things then chatting. Surprising? I know. Prepared to be surprised more and more this journey!" she said with a smug chuckle. After briefly glancing at each other, the boys nodded in awe. "Shall we get moving then? The less time we spend in these forsaken halls, the better," Coco commented.

* * *

The trio slowly picked their way through the decrepit walls and sagging ceiling that formed the hallway of this ancient ruin. Multiple spear traps lay sprung in the hallway, giant blades jammed by fallen rocks, and pits filled in by water. At some point in time, the traps must have been daunting, but now the compromising condition of the walls and ceilings proved to be more ominous. After hearing a few rumblings echo through the tunnel, it was clear that the passage could collapse at any given moment. Which is why the trio was so happy to see the claustrophobic hallway open up into a large room. In the room the sound of cascading liquid could heard, but no liquid could be seen.

Coco approached the room and brandished the torch. The hallway ended in stairs that led up to a raised part of floor in the middle of the room. On the walls were the paintings of primitive humans missing limbs, heads, and other parts of their bodies. Half of the room lay collapsed opposite of where the siblings stood. It was a grim sight, but it was also clear that there was something important in the middle of the room on the raised section of the floor. Crash tip-toed over to a painting on the wall and inclined his head in curiosity. He then turned around and smiled. Crunch was puzzled at this, for missing limbs do not usually make one smile. He walked over to his happy brother.

Crash was looking at a figure with no head. Surrounding the figure were people laughing, and more importantly, there was no sign of blood. Crunch raised his eyebrows in epitome. He turned to where his sister had been standing, "Coco, this room contains whatever turns people invisible. We need to find this. An artifact? Or maybe a-" Coco was no where to be seen. Terror shot up the older male's spine. "Coco? Where are you?'

"I'm up here by this brazier with liquid air. Its cool!"

"Unless I'm blind, you are nowhere up there! And liquid air? What do you mean unless..." Crunch took off at a run up the stairs. The water sound got louder, and an ancient brazier stood at the top of the stairs.

"Put your hand in it!" Coco's voice rung from right behind him. Crunch just about jumped out of his hide, and was filled with anger at Coco's taunting giggles. With a grunt, he walked over to the brazier and plunged his hand in, expecting to feel nothing but the cold, rusting metal. Yet what he saw, or rather did not see, was remarkable. His hand vanished as he felt the sensation of what seemed like water. He lifted up his arm, and was instantly grateful he had put his metal arm in the water. He could see all the circuits and wires inside the robotic arm. It was as if some one had sliced it clean off. He waved at Crash, who in return laughed. Crunch, too was happy. He felt a new sensation that had had left his hollowed heart long ago.

Crunch was glad to welcome hope back into his life.


	9. Chapter 8

The sun had risen on the forsaken Wumpa islands. Cortex's castle lay in smoking ruins, while the Bandicoot home was reduced to a pile of rubble. Worst of all, the humans remained; they scoured the jungle and beaches tirelessly. Yet, despite the desolation wrought by the merciless humans, one door lay buried in the Bandicoot home ruins that was completely undamaged. Only supernatural forces could have kept the steel door sealed to the ravaging humans. The supernatural force that had protected this door silently floated above the home, staring into the ocean that was dotted with human vessels.

Aku Aku then squinted as he saw something odd. On a giant ship - one that he heard to be called an aircraft carrier - two humans argued. The mask's magical sight pierced the distance between the humans and himself. One was a gruff, stout and decorated human commander. He wore green splotched clothes, and the other human was oddly familiar. The other man wore distinct glasses and a camera around his neck. The fight was reaching particularly volatile levels, and Aku Aku decided that he had better get closer and learn what this was about. In a quick shimmer of light, Aku Aku teleported his wooden body to just above the ship.

"Your pay will be sent to you in a week's time. The discovery of these islands will provide an excellent military base in this corner of the world. If I were you, I would take what I've given you instead of slapping the gift horse in the mouth," the military commander's words rang out, laced with anger.

"I commissioned you to capture the life forms of the island, not _kill_ them! That gas you rocketed onto the island will liquefy their organs, and the opportunity for scientific discoveries killed along with those life forms. Before I leave, all that I ask is that I be permitted to look around the rubble of the small cottage, where I got my pictures. Perhaps I can glean some scientific insight from the ruins of your recklessness," the sight-impaired man retorted. The commander grunted, then walked to the side of the great ship. He motioned for the scientist to follow.

Once the scientist reached the edge, in one swift motion, the commander shoved the man over the edge of the vessel. The scientist was suspended in air for a few moments, his glasses tumbling into the water along with his camera. With a hard splash, the man landed in the briny ocean. Only after he resurfaced did the commander above speak again. "Swim to the shore. I will leave a small boat with some men to pick you up when you are done. Until then, our business is over, old man," the commander said in a mocking tone.

* * *

The not-so-visible Bandicoot trio had finally reached home - or rather what remained of it. Being invisible, Crash, Coco and Crunch were able to walk back on the beach, which had proven to be much easier to manage than the jungle. All three of their hearts had sunken when they had seen the smoking remains of their home. But soon Coco had spotted a familiar piece of wood floating in the sky. At that moment, the three knew that at least one part of their home had survived, and therefore, they still had hope.

Little did they know that a familiar old man stood skulking around the remains of the desolated structure.


	10. Chapter 9

Steven, the old man, stood squinting at what he thought was some gym equipment. The roof had caved in on this room, but he swore that he saw bent bars, dumbbells, and even a bench press in the ruins of this particular room. He then looked down at the blackened and destroyed remains of a laptop in his hands. It at one time was pink, and the keys were worn from heavy use. Steven scratched his gray mustache. "These creatures seem to have human intelligence. Perhaps aliens do exist - or maybe these were the product of that deranged man's experiments on the other side of the islands. While this is important to note," he said while pondering his current situation, " the corpses of the creatures remain MIA." He turned and began to walk out of the ruins, almost tripping on a half-eaten Wumpa fruit as he did so. "Whatever these beasts are," he added after kicking the rotting fruit away, "they can't just appear and poof out of existence. What an enigma - I'll have to ask -" the man man just about had a heart attack as he heard a deep growl. To his astonishment and horror, one of the 'beasts' appeared right before his eyes with its robotic hand clenched tightly around Steven's throat.

"You will pay for your crimes against my brother and sister. In Cortex's castle, we would have given you a painful death. But since I'm not with Cortex, I will just snap your neck and be done with it. Then your master, "USA", will be next!" Crunch said through bared teeth as he lifted the man off the ground. Steven struggled against the muscular Bandicoot's strength as his lungs begged for air. He though that he would be dead in a matter of seconds, and it was all thanks to the general's recklessness. But then a high-pitched voice pierced his agony.

"Crunch, stop! You're hurting him!" Coco's frightened scream projected through the ruins of their house.

"That's the point, sister. This man caused all of our misery, and therefore he must pay," Crunch lifted his other hand the the frail man's head, ready to rotate it in a direction that would snap the spine instantly. But his was stopped by Coco's helpless cries of mercy. He looked over at his sister, and saw terror in her eyes. Crash stood next to her with his hand on her shoulder and an angry frown on his face. Crunch faltered for a moment. His siblings had so much investment in saving this man's life. _But killing the man would serve as justice - and justice is the correct mode of action. Right?_

Crunch's grip got tighter on the man's throat. Steve could feel the metal fingers begin to pry harder, and at this moment, he said his last prayers. But to his relief, the hand's grip opened up entirely, and he fell, coughing, on the ground. "Miss, I owe you my life. This one would have killed me," he said indicating a growling Crunch.

Coco stood up, wiping her tears away. "I am Coco, the one who contacted you through the Internet. Know that I did not save your life. Crunch only didn't kill you because he isn't one of Cortex's any more. But tell me, why did we give you mercy? After all you have put us through. You tried to kill us. Explain yourself." Steven looked at Coco, then at Crunch, who cracked his knuckles with his teeth bared, and back at Coco.

"I was trying to get some scientific insight-"

"Scientific insight? You almost killed us. You'll have to do better than scientific insight," Coco interrupted, angrily.

"-on the life forms of these islands. After I noted the scientist's creations, I realized that you all were intelligent. However, it was never my intent to kill you. I-" Steven was interrupted by AkuAku above.

"Children, get inside the laboratory now. The commotion you have stirred up has attracted unwarranted attention!"

Coco bolted to where the door to her laboratory used to be located in her house. She was overjoyed to see that the door to the staircase that led to her laboratory was virtually untouched. She typed her passcode into the keypad on the door and motioned for the rest of them to enter. Crunch loomed over Steven as he entered Coco's lab.

* * *

Crunch was furious. He was mad that he did not kill the man when he had the chance, but he was even more mad that he had let Cortex's genetically enhanced rage get the better of him - especially in front of his siblings. He had been ready to make a colorful smear of the man, and Coco and Crash would have seen it if he had not snapped himself out of his frenzy. It was as if red coated his vision and Cortex's Crunch took over. It was frightening.

"I can't let my rage take over again."


	11. Chapter 10

Surprisingly, the laboratory was virtually untouched by the destruction above. Coco dashed for where she had been standing before the destruction had started, while Crash plopped himself on her tan sofa, playing with his yo-yo. Steven cautiously admired Coco's technologies, and was squinting at one of her prototypes. Crunch had shut the door behind him, and walked over to where Coco was standing. She picked up the wrench she had dropped, and continued to tinker with the teleportation machine. Crunch pretended to look interested in what she was doing, but he was actually keeping watch on the treacherous old man.

"Fortunately, I think I have a solution to our predicament,"Coco said, "but it will take more power than we have. I created, and tested a time travel machine three weeks ago. it worked well enough, but it took a remarkable amount of energy to power it. Now that the main generator for our power is destroyed, I can no longer power it. The back up generator, even though it produces enough power for the teleportation machine, does not produce enough energy to power time-travel. Anyone have any ideas?" Coco inquired.

Steven hesitantly spoke up. "The energy you would need to power that machine, by the looks of it, is equivalent to the entire power grid of Seattle. I'm not sure there's a source of power that abundant short of a nuclear warhead," he observed.

"The way humans do nuclear power is so inefficient. I built a generator that could supply more power than three nuclear bombs with a fraction of the uranium you guys use," Coco retorted. The two began to argue over various scientific things. While neither of the boys understood half of what Steven and Coco were saying, they could see the argument was reaching volatile levels. Sensing this, Crunch's hair started to raise, and he began to let out a low growl. The older Bandicoot was about ready to pounce on Steven when he was snapped out of his rage by Crash bounding off the tan sofa with glee. Crash began pointing excitingly at his purple yo-yo, chattering in Crash talk. Yet, his speech was so filled with energy that neither Coco nor Crunch could decipher what he was saying. Giving Crash a puzzled look, Crunch crossed his arms.

Crash then ran over to a nearby box, and tilted it on its corner. "Crash, you're not making any sense. I'm not sure what your yo-yo and that box have to do with any of this," Crunch sighed.

"Crunch, don't you see? Crash, you're a genius!" Coco said while giggling.

"He must have found a cure to cancer then, for you to say that one of your brothers is a genius. Congratulations, sis, you know something I don't. Now get on with it!" Crunch said while rolling his eyes.

"Crash is pointing at his yo-yo because its purple, and he tilted the box on its corner so that it became a diamond. What it purple and diamond-like? Power crystals! Those would work to power my machine," she happily said.

"Sis, I don't doubt your brains, but you forgot one piece to that puzzle. Our power crystals were smashed along with the rest of our belongings when our house burned down. The only other person in the world that knows their location is Cortex - and Cortex isn't exactly here to celebrate our solution." Crunch pointed out.

"The way we beat Cortex to the crystals was by intercepting his crystal locater radar messages. Therefore we need to talk to him about that. And before you interrupt me again, I had Crash plant a tracking device (the T-S1-30) in Cortex's head long ago. Unfortunately, it is kind of faulty, but its all we got," Coco resolved.

"Alright, lets assume that your _whatever-you-call-it_ in Cortex's head happens to lead us to the right place. Lets also assume that the most _insane_ man on Earth will help his arch enemies out with their problem. And lets say that we even _manage_ to find the crystal. What do we do with that _murderer_?" Crunch said while pointing a metal finger at Steven.

"He'll go with you. I have re-engineered the teleportation machine to transport three Bandicoots weighing up to 1,000 kilograms,"Coco said, then turned to Steven. "You don't weigh much, do you? My older brother's habit of packing on muscle has made him weigh almost as much as two people."

"What should happen if I do weigh too much?" Steven cautiously inquired.

"It'l reject you."

"Oh ok, what a relief. I though you were going to say something much wo-"

"'Reject' is my polite way of saying that it will re-arrange your limbs, make your blood boil, and electrocute you." Coco interrupted.

"Oh"

Then Crunch weighed his opinion in. "While I'm glad that you wont be staying in the laboratory alone with this maniac, you can't seriously think that Crash and I can be responsible for him?" Crunch growled.

"Think of it as a challenge, big bro."

* * *

Crash and Crunch were standing on the warp pad ready for transportation. Crash had done this many times, but he was really excited to go on a mission with his older brother for once. On the other hand, Crunch had never done this before, and was slightly nervous.

Coco prodded Steven towards the warp pad and indicated for him to stand next to Crunch, who dwarfed him in size. Responding to the old man's reluctance, Coco reassured him that "Crunch doesn't bite. Well unless you look like a particularly juicy and protein-rich piece of meat. Although his sweaty stench might prove to be more deadly that his bite," she said, laughing. This prompted a growl from her older brother and giggling from Crash, but in no way assured Steven.

Once Steven was in place, she trotted back to her control console and began to run coordinates through her database to find Cortex. Once she found the supposedly-correct coordinates, she gave a thumbs up and pulled the lever to activate the machine. As power started to flow to the warp pad, Steven suddenly tried to run away in terror. He was rudely stopped by Crunch's metal arm. The burgundy Bandicoot grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt and held on tight even as the pad began to work. In a blinding flash of light, Steven, and the two male Bandicoots were gone.

Crunch's only thought at the moment was : "Damn you old man."


End file.
